New Three Spot Gourami & Bolivian Rams

[FishFanatic04]

Had my QT all ready for my gouramis today and ended up with 5 Bolivian Rams!!! Here's some pics. We want 2 male and 3 female Rams, but they were sooo hard to sex, and I'm only 90% sure one is male by it's behavior. The rest, I have no clue. They were just put in after acclimating and are pale. Pictures would have been better but I wanted to hurry up and turn the light off to give them some peace.

I tried to pick the right gouramis as well and looked at picture before I left. 1 male and 2 females is what I'm after! Thanks

Here's a ton of pics:

I know I got carried away. I couldn't catch a good one of the gouramis, they were moving around too much.

 

[crago1990]

Bolivian Rams look amazing!I really want some Also want to know how to tell if there male or female?

 

[FishFanatic04]

I did a video, you may be able to see the gouramis better in it. One of them is still a little freaked out. I finally turned off the light, so no more messing with them today.

 

[FishFanatic04]

My video won't upload. I'll have to mess with it later. My 6 month old baby was babbling through the whole thing anyway. ;p Any opinions on the gourami sexes? I know the pics are horrible for that, should take some later, they are already slowing down a little. Never a good idea to photograph fish 5 minutes after introducing them to a tank.

 

[Ruskull]

It looks like it could either be all females Gouramis or possibly one is a male. Hard to tell from the pictures. If that one is a male, he's right before the point of maturity and his body shape hasn't fully developed yet. His dorsal & anal fins will grow longer too.

The dorsal should grow past the base of where his tailfin begins and end in a distinct point.

 

[FishFanatic04]

well, better all females then all males There were only 5 or 6 of them in the tank and only 2 that I thought might be males. One was much larger then the others though, and I thought getting them at mostly the same size was better. His dorsel is slightly more pointed backwards.

I guess we'll see, my lfs will trade out if I need to I guess. I will take better pictures tonight when they have settled.

I will look at more photos online of the difference and then compare with them. Thanks

 

[Man of fish]

For the bolivians look at their spot. If there's sparkling scales in their spot they're female if it's a mat black with no sparkles in the spot they're male. That's the easiest way to sex little rams.

 

[Essjay]

For the bolivians look at their spot. If there's sparkling scales in their spot they're female if it's a mat black with no sparkles in the spot they're male. That's the easiest way to sex little rams.

That's GBRs not bolivian rams. It is much more difficult to sex bolivians unless you can see their breeding tubes. That's the only way to be 100% sure.

 

[FishFanatic04]

Here's 3 more pics from the folder...the cut-off ram is the one I thought was male. the full shot is of the darker female.

 

[Ruskull]

The last photo is def. a female, no doubt. The other shots are far less certain. Sorry. They have the same body shape when they're young and the female stay more like that but get much wider in the belly, while the males body grows a bit taller and sharper if that makes sense.

 

[FishFanatic04]

I'll keep a close eye and do some comparisons then. The important thing was to have more females. If they are all females then I will pick the 2 I like best and trade out the third. The salesperson at petsmart told me that I have to say "Something is wrong with this fish" for them to exchange it.

These bolivians are some nice big chunkers There are definently ich spots on 2 rams and 1 gourami at least. You can't buy fish here that are healthy!

I can't wait to move to GA!!

 

[Man of fish]

Where in GA are you moving?
Essay I thought it was for both? It was what worked for me when I looked and the LFS clerk told me I sexed them right.

 

[FishFanatic04]

To Fort Benning. I am sooooo ready to be back in the good ole' south. Texas is NOT a "southern" state. {No offense to anyone}

I read just now that the male gouramis may have a more yellow/orange color in there anal fin. I'm going to just watch them awhile.

 

[Man of fish]

Sorry never heard of that part of GA but I wish you luck, I'm near the metro don't know where that is.

 

[FishFanatic04]

Thanks, I just dread moving all these fish But since we are military and Always moving in the future, I think we will learn how to do it.


I think I am just going to wait it out with these three gourami. I really feel like this one may be a male and goodle didn't really show me a good picture of a male's dorsel. I will look when I go to petsores next time for the males.